"NYC" 2012 spotted!

Today on my way home from NYC I was on my train waiting in the Stamford station when a southbound diesel Shoreliner IV (in the MTA blue, not CDOT red) consist pulled in. I didn't think anything of it until my train started pulling away and I saw the loco – it was an F-unit (not sure if an FL-9 or an F-10) painted in the New York Central colors! I knew there was one loco like that on the premises in the New Haven yard but I didn't know it ran in revenue service. Perhaps it was the Danbury shuttle? I had a camera, but as I said I though nothing and it was too late to pull out my camera by the time the loco came into view -- sorry.

Not so rare since 2001! Two FL9's, 2012 and 2013, were painted to commemorate the anniversary of the Hudson River Railroad, and ran several excursions. 2013 is now at Danbury Railway Museum, and 2012 has been assigned to the Danbury branch for the last few weeks or so.

Here is 2012 and 2017 working in Wassaic on March 2002.

http://railroad.net/photos/nycarea/media/ov-08.jpg

and here they are at Dykemans, on the Harlem Line.

http://railroad.net/photos/nycarea/media/ov-02.jpg

-otto-

It's been on the Danbury shuttle for a couple weeks now.

Only reason two FL-9's were painted that way was there is no NYC passenger power left with Cabsignal ATC. so a erzatz E8 substitute was created.
Both FL-9's were to be retired soon anyway. the 2013 was retired to Danbury railway museum, but the 2012 after several short retirements came back in passenger service over and over again. the NYC livery does draw lots of railfans and gets very possitive reactions from passengers who are tired of seeing the same old stuff appear.

2013 was repainted right into this http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?20275

2013 and 2007 were the only two units to get the Genesis-like "g-string" paint scheme. 2013 was then tapped for the much classier NYC paint, which you can now see on display at DRM...

-otto-

Nailed 2012 at West Redding this morning... I think 2012 is getting swapped out with the 2008 for Sunday? I could be wrong...

-otto-

2012 roared through Harrison this evening with the 411 trailing... nice! (too bad it was *just* after sunset)

-otto-

Here's a partial shot (the train was in motion) of NYC 2012, taken during the Sono arts festival on 8/4/04:



NH Chris